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Well, damn.
The shock on her face turns into confusion, anger, and then hurt. Which means this will not end here. Even though Prez rarely raises his voice to Princess, if he does, she knows he's not to be fucked with. But being who and how she is, I know there will be retaliation. We all know that girl will be on the warpath to show everyone who Queen B is. Whenever she gets put in her place, which is rare, she becomes the fucking devil.Never towards her father but everyone else.
Which means I’ll have to play referee and babysit her while she throws her fucking tantrum.
Fucking great.
Ten
BELLAMY
?
I made promises. I'm here for a job. That is what I chant as I get the fuck away from the office that holds my sperm donor, bonus siblings, and the bitch whose face I want to punch–repeatedly. What the fuck ever. My fists clench at my sides in frustration, and my skin burns. Shaking my head, I take a few breaths, trying to slow my breathing and calm my ass the hell down. This situation is delicate, I know that. But my mother has lost her mind if she thinks I will be all kumbaya with these people. Especially that bitch Princess. Ain’t no way in hell.
It took everything in me not to molly-wop the hell out of that girl the second she opened her mouth. Pain would be proud I hadn’t. I roll my eyes at the thought, knowing he would be logical about this shit. He’d say she’s only reacting to life-changing news. And that I should give her a chance to process. Blah fucking blah blah. Fucking process, my fist in her face. That’s the only processing she needs.
“Hey, wait up, Sis.”
A deep voice that sounds too peppy for my liking comes from behind me. My steps slow, but I don’t turn completely. Shift so I can see who it is, even though I have a pretty good idea. I let out a slow breath before trailing my eyes from the feet to the eyes of my younger brother, Vex. His eyes are wary, but his smile says it isn’t because of me. It’s his wariness at what my response to him may be. He’s curious. He doesn’t seem threatened by my arrival. And that’s a good thing. I can’t help but chuckle when he smirks at me. He looks like he’s naturally a happy-go-lucky guy, far more chill than the other two.
Taking him in, a hint of darkness is in his eyes, but he hides. I smile back at him at what I recognize. Oh, little brother, I see what you are trying to hide. His vibe may be relaxed, but he can’t hide his natural readiness to strike at any given time. When someone like me who lives in the dark, looks into your eyes, it’s hard to hide. Vex has experienced the not-so-pleasant parts of our world. That much is clear. It’s clear by the chink in his armor that no one looks close enough to see my little brother for who and what he is. And I wouldn’t expect anything less of an MC legacy. But I can also tell that he downplays his darkness. His downplaying most likely serves him well because his charm disarms those he encounters. An easygoing outlaw, unlikely. More like Vex is a snake waiting in the grass to strike. And I smirk, knowing I’m not nor will I ever be his target.
I'm not one to hold on to a grudge or place it on someone who doesn't deserve it. Regardless of our father’s, Princess’, or Bull's actions. I’ll not condemn Vex for the shit they say and do.
“So, you're my big sister, huh?” he says.
Vex’s arm snakes around my shoulders, pulling me into him. He looks down at me with a smile, warmth filling my belly. I nod. He squeezes me closer, and I shriek a little, which causes him to look at me sheepishly and loosen his hold. Fucker doesn’t know his strength. I smack him on his chest as I giggle. What the hell was that? My eyes widened in shock. I don't giggle. He guffaws and watches me come to terms with this weird sensation.
Is this what being a girl is?
Oh, hell no. Giggling cannot be a thing. I’m absolutely the fuck not going to be one of those giggling, squealy girls. I’m too much of a badass to be that. When I’m done here, I need to find a bad guy to murder because this isn’t it. What the actual fuck. Two seconds in his presence, I’m being sucked into his weird happy-go-lucky hidden darkness whirlwind of emotional fuckery. Nope. Nuh-uh.
Shaking off this weird and new sensation, I smile at Vex. “Yep, I guess I am. And I’m going to love every minute of it. Despite... well, you know…” I shrug. Doubting the need to elaborate.
“I’m sure they’ll get out of their feelings and get their shit together eventually…” I shrug again. “Maybe? Either way, we have a few decades to make up for. Hope you’re ready for it. Because I’m known to be a lot to handle on a good day.” I smile mischievously up at my little brother. I’m not lying when I say I’m a lot to handle. Blaze and my team would say I’m a pain in the ass. Tomato tomahto.
Vex smiles but sobers, releasing me completely and taking a step back. As he rubs his hand on his neck, I feel the moment his energy shifts. I might be wary if I were anyone else–but I’m not. I watch him patiently, waiting for him to get his thoughts together. When he takes a few deep breaths, I realize it is not just him gathering his thoughts, but because he’s uncomfortable with how I may react. Vex looks down at the ground for a moment. When he looks up and into my eyes, his brows are furrowed.
“I...” He lets out a shaky breath and flexes his neck. “I know my sister can be a bit much. She's kind of...” He stares into my eyes, his own filled with trepidation. He’s struggling. Knowing that, I give him a reassuring smile, which I hope is encouraging. Keeping my face relaxed, open, and welcoming. If I want a relationship with my brother, I want him to know he can talk to me openly and not fear that I will flip my shit if he says something I don’t like. And I may sound like a walking, talking contradiction because the minute Princess opens her mouth, I want to punch her in it, but the difference between the two is Vex doesn’t seem to be selfish and self-serving.
He clears his throat. “... I know this will be an adjustment for everyone. And all I'm asking is that you give us a chance despite my sister and her... shit attitude. She may never come around, but I'm hoping you can look past her bullshit and give me, Bull, the club and Pop a chance.” He swears and looks down at his feet. A small lump in my throat forces me to look away from him. Damn it, how is he making me have these stupid emotions and feelings?
Vulnerability isn’t something that men in MCs often show. And it sure as fucking hell it’s not something I do, either. So I get it. And I can appreciate it. I don’t like that he thinks other people's actions will take me away from him now that I’ve found him. I’d never turn my back on my family, even if they turned their backs on me. Suck my teeth; I can’t have that. He needs to hear me and believe and take everything I say as truth. Stepping closer to Vex, my hand cups his chin, lifting it so his eyes meet mine.
“Vex, they are not you, and nor are you them. I'll not hold you accountable for their actions or words. I know my arrival was a shock, but it was necessary. That conversation is for another time when cooler heads can prevail. And our siblings and I don’t want to karate chop one another in the throat.” He and I both chuckle at my attempt to lighten the mood. Pulling him into a quick side hug. It’s a little awkward, but he gets the gesture. At least, I hope he does. “I want to get to know you… and them, despite what happened. You are my family, okay? So never doubt that I want to know you. And know that I will never turn my back on you for something someone else has done or said. I’m repeating myself, but I need you to know I'm being real with you.”
He puts his arms that were relaxed around me, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. We stay like that for a few moments before he shifts to my side and steers me out of the hallway toward the bar.
“Since you’re here, I'd love to get to know you. I get all the heavy between our parents. And all the shit that went down was fucked up, but that’s their shit. So despite all the bullshit between you and my sister and you kicking my big bros' ass, I want to know you.” He chuckles, and I hold my laughter in. Because honestly, that could have gone way differently. But like I told Daddio, I didn’t start it.
Once we reach the bar and sit down, Vex gets the Prospect's attention, and with a chin lift, he waves two fingers. Shifting in his seat, he stares at me, and like before, I wait him out. I don’t have to wait long for the questions to begin. Where did I grow up? What's our brother Blaze like? What brings me here? How come I didn't reach out sooner? How long am I staying? I answer most. Don't think he’s ready for the answer to why I’m here just yet.
There are so many moving pieces, and until I sit down and talk with Gunner, I will keep the reason I’m here close to the chest. Because even though this is a family reunion, I still have a job to do, which has to come first. We need to move cautiously so my team can handle the situation without it getting out of control. Because as fierce and feared as LSMC is, I know that knowing why I’m here, if not handled carefully, could cause a war. And I promised to prevent that from happening.
Vex and I sit for a while, getting to know one another and our similarities and quarks from our Church bloodline. I'm surprised to learn that Vex is smart… like MIT smart. It’s crazy because I would have remembered seeing him on campus when I attended, especially since he is only a few years younger than me and Blaze. My kid brother is hard to miss with his handsome face, dark hair, and green eyes. Built much like Blaze… big, as if he eats five dozen raw eggs and works out from sunup to sundown. The kid’s ripped.
Talking to my little brother, I realize he and my twin Blaze are twinning far more than he and I do. That has me thinking about Princess, and I can honestly say with my entire chest that spoiled rotten bitch, and I am nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, alike. You can take that to the grave.
